Handle emergency calls, configure escalation triggers, and charge after-hours dispatch fees with Voice Agent

  • Updated on Apr 30, 2026
  • Published on Apr 29, 2026
  • 2 minute(s) read
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This improvement to Voice Agent lets you handle emergency calls safely and charge after-hours dispatch fees to capture premium revenue. This improvement impacts Voice Agent for basic Phones, Phones Pro, and Contact Center Pro.

Escalation triggers for customer service calls, highlighting key situations for escalation.

What's changing?

Previously, Voice Agent treated all calls the same regardless of urgency or time of day. Same day appointment requests, emergency calls such as gas leaks or carbon monoxide (CO) alarms or urgent issues were processed as routine bookings. There was no way to automatically transfer a frustrated caller to a live agent, and after-hours calls could not include dispatch fees. Now, you configure per-job-type after-hours dispatch fees that Voice Agent quotes automatically and auto-assign a technician to the job.

Resources

Before and after

Before (current)

  1. A caller reports a gas leak after business hours.

  2. Voice Agent processes the call as a routine booking request.

  3. Normal dispatch fee is quoted to the caller.

  4. The job is booked without identifying an on-call technician.

Impact: Emergency calls are handled the same as routine requests, creating safety risks and lost after-hours revenue.

Try the current workflow in your account

After

  1. A caller reports an urgent issue or request after business hours.

  2. Voice Agent can book the job, quote an after-hour dispatch fee, and assign to an on-call technician, or book unassigned to the dispatch board.

  3. Voice Agent checks whether the call falls outside your defined business hours.

  4. Voice Agent quotes the after-hours dispatch fee you set for that job type.

  5. The job is booked with the correct fee and routing applied.

Impact: Emergency calls are handled safely with the right routing, and after-hours revenue is captured automatically.

Test the changes in the NEXT environment

Who uses this feature

  • Residential Service and Replacement, Commercial Service and Replacement

  • Administrators, CSRs, Dispatchers

  • Region availability: All regions

 

How it works for your industry

Residential Service and Replacement

  • A homeowner calls at 11 PM reporting a burst pipe. Voice Agent detects the emergency, quotes the $150 after-hours dispatch fee, and assigns the job to the on-call plumber.

  • A caller expresses frustration about a Tuesday appointment for their broken furnace. Because you configured customer anger as an escalation trigger, Voice Agent transfers the call to a live agent before the caller hangs up.

  • A weekend caller needs an urgent water heater replacement. Voice Agent recognizes the after-hours window, applies the dispatch fee, and books the job so your on-call technician receives the assignment immediately.

Commercial Service and Replacement

  • A property manager calls after hours about a commercial HVAC unit failure affecting a retail space. Voice Agent identifies the emergency keywords and routes the call to the on-call commercial technician with the correct dispatch fee applied.

  • A facility maintenance coordinator threatens to call a competitor if an earlier appointment is not available. The escalation trigger for competitor threats transfers the call to your after-hours customer service representative (CSR) to retain the account.

  • A restaurant owner calls about a refrigeration emergency on a holiday. Voice Agent applies the holiday dispatch fee you configured for that job type and books the job for your on-call technician.

How to prepare

  1. Identify which emergency scenarios apply to your business, such as gas leaks, CO alarms, or flooding. Plan how each scenario should be routed: escalate to a live agent, assign to an on-call technician, or book unassigned to the dispatch board.

  2. Review your escalation trigger options and decide which situations require human intervention. Examples include customer anger, competitor threats, requests for sooner appointments, and phone number mismatches.

  3. Define your after-hours schedule in Voice Agent settings. Set after-hours dispatch fees for each job type in the Job Types table.

  4. Bookmark any knowledge base articles or Academy videos for team training.

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